Gary Clark Jr. releases two songs from new album

on Tue, 08/11/2015 - 12:17

Gary Clark, Jr. will release his much-anticipated second major label LP "The Story of Sonny Boy Slim" this September, the Austin guitar virtuoso revealed. Fans who pre-order the album, due out September 11th, will receive a free download of Sonny Boy Slim's first two tracks, "The Healing" and "Grinder", which Clark also posted on his YouTube page.

"Sonny Boy Slim is me", Clark, who Rolling Stone once dubbed as "the Chosen One", says in the album trailer above. "My mom called me 'Sonny Boy,' and all the cats on the scene when I was coming up called me 'Slim.' The underlying tone of this album is faith and hope. 'Cause that's what we need." The teaser also shows footage documenting Clark's meteoric rise, from building a reputation on the Austin scene to performing main stage slots at music festivals following the release of 2012's "Blak and Blu".

"My inspirations range from classical to hip-hop to EDM to whatever, I just love sound so much. Whatever makes noise, I listen to it, and I soak it up like a sponge. And it comes back", Clark says, adding that Sonny Boy Slim boasts the "bangin'" beats of hip-hop drumming.

"The Story of Sonny Boy Slim" was written, produced and arranged by Clark, who also plays the majority of instruments on the 13-track LP. Clark's long-time live soundman Bharath "Cheex" Ramanat and Jason Sciba also assisted on the album, while Clark's sisters Shawn and Savannah provide background vocals.

Clark unveiled the album's first two songs as a teaser for the LP. "Grinder" begins with dissonant guitar feedback before settling into a dirty, bluesy groove, while "The Healing" segways from a man singing a gospel song into the singer-guitarist's declaration that "this music is my healing" and "When this world upsets me, this music sets me free."

In addition to a summer festival tour – including a gig at this weekend's Lollapalooza – and a stint opening for Foo Fighters this autumn, Clark will embark on his own solo tour in February 2016. Fans who purchase tickets to any of Clark's headlining shows will also receive a download of "The Story of Sonny Boy Slim".